Bradford garden centre raises over ?7,000 for children’s hospice

One of Yorkshire’s largest independent garden centres is celebrating after raising over ?7,000 for a North Yorkshire children’s hospice.

Staff at Tong Garden Centre, near Bradford, voted for Martin House Children’s Hospice as their Charity of the Year last summer with the aim of raising ?5,000. Thanks to a summer holiday initiative whereby the owners donated 10% of the entrance fee to Grass Hoppers adventure playground, the target was destroyed in just six weeks.

The generosity of the team at Tong and their respected customers meant that the final figure was ?7044.30.

Jo Dales, Tong Garden Centre’s marketing manager, said: “Thanks to the huge fundraising efforts of customers and staff, more children can continue to receive much-needed care from Martin’s House Children’s Hospice.

“We’re extremely pleased to be able to support the hospice that is relied on by so many children and families from our region because we want to show our support for the local community, and being able to contribute in this way means a lot to us.”

John Haigh, corporate fundraiser at Martin House, said: “The support of Tong Garden Centre has never been more important and we are truly grateful for every penny raised.

“We have been working over the past months to upgrade our outdoor play facilities, making them fun and accessible for all of our children, whatever their needs. The money needed to do this has been largely raised by supporters in the community, like Tong Garden Centre, and will make a difference to the lives of families who visit the hospice throughout 2016 and beyond.”

Boston Spa-based Martin House provides care and support for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses, and their families. Martin House currently looks after close to 600 families, providing them with free support both at the hospice and in their homes. The charity relies heavily on donations to contribute towards the annual running costs of ?5.5 million.